Carrington’s Bridger Anderson wanting a third shot at a NFR
JAMESTOWN– At age 3, Bridger Anderson wanted to be a paleontologist by day and a professional guide wrestler by night.
He’s because quit on the day task but his nighttime gig is still treating him quite well.
Anderson is a professional guide wrestler native to Carrington, North Dakota. Anderson bought his expert rodeo card his senior year of high school and has been rodeoing expertly ever since.
“You never ever know when it is going to end,” Anderson said. “It’s a physically-tasking sport and people get injured every day. It could be done tomorrow however we’re simply hoping we can ride this train as long as we can. There’s a lot more to life than rodeo however we are grateful we get to live rodeo as long as we can.”
After graduating from Carrington in 2017, Anderson went on to complete for Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He earned the 2019 National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association steer battling title. He has qualified for the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) twice. In 2020 he completed his first NFR ninth worldwide standings. In 2023 he positioned seventh worldwide.
He’s looking to get back to Vegas for a third time this December.
“We didn’t make the NFR in 2024 so was sort of a write-off year but then this year it’s going pretty good,” Anderson said. “We rodeo from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 every year to try and get within the top-15 of total cash won.
“I get to go to 80 rodeos and if I win sufficient money in 80 rodeos to be in the top-15 on the planet then I get to go to the NFR in Las Vegas,” he stated. “We are within the top-10 today.”
Anderson is presently ranked 10th worldwide in total money won with $75,651 made this rodeo season. The Carrington native won the Strawberry Days Rodeo in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the Desert Rodeo in Thermal, California, the Matagorda County Fair and Rodeo in Bay City, Texas and was a co-champion at the Cody Stampede Rodeo.
Anderson has actually participated in more than 40 rodeos considering that October 2024. The North Dakota native and now Texas local has been on the roadway considering that June and most likely will not return to his home-base until September.
“It can be a little tedious being gone and residing in a trailer and driving all of the time but once you’ve been on the road for a few weeks you’ll drive 6 hours and not even see that you drove anywhere,” Anderson stated.
“I’ve rodeoed in every state west of the Mississippi and then I have actually gone to North Carolina, I went to Tennessee this year, been to Louisiana, been to Alabama, Georgia and Florida, been to Illinois– we went to Alberta (Canada) a couple of times– that’s one of the cool features of rodeo is that you get to see a lot of the nation,” he stated.
Bridger Anderson
jumps off his horse to wrestle a guide throughout a rodeo. Contributed/ Bridger Anderson will be back in his home state at the end of September for the annual Rough Rider Cup, a rodeo kept in Mandan. He also has strategies to take part in South Dakota’s Sioux Falls Guv’s Cup.
“The goal is to be No. 1 entering into the NFR and winning a world title however there is a lot of winning left to do,” Anderson stated. “We’re intending to win as much as we can. It would be awesome to win Sioux Falls or win a bunch of these private rodeos. It would be awesome to go win Mandan however the main thing is to capitalize when we get good draws and do our jobs so we can go to the NFR and try to win a world title.”
After the rodeo season ends– presuming he’s within the top-15– Anderson will go back to Texas to train and take part in some local rodeos to keep in shape for the NFR. After the NFR concludes in early December, Anderson will take 2 to 3 weeks off before heading to San Diego and Denver for a series of competitors.
“It’s always been an objective to rodeo for a living and expertly guide wrestle,” Anderson said. “Everyone in the neighborhood back home knew this is what I wished to do. It’s quite remarkable that we get to live our dream. Not everybody gets to live out their dream and we are extremely grateful that we get to.
“I’m sure grateful for everybody back home,” he stated. “It’s crazy how many people post my schedules. It’s quite remarkable how many individuals who do not come from a rodeo background have followed me. It’s genuine great that they tune in and reveal interest. I sure value each of them who shows their support.”
Katie Ringer is a sports reporter for the Jamestown Sun. Katie joined the Sun staff in the summer season of 2019 after finishing from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire with a degree in journalism. She can be reached by email at kringer@jamestownsun.com or by phone at 701-952-8460.